Charles Fey invented the slot machine in the 1890′s. He probably never envisioned that his creation called the “Liberty Bell” would evolve into the most popular form of casino gambling today.

The slot evolution however had a lot of growing pains as many in the United States viewed gambling as a social ill. By 1910 all legal gambling activity was shut down,which left horse racing as the only legal entity in America.

During the 1920′s prohibition era, the public’s thirst for gambling matched that of booze. Slot machines along with alcohol were found in “Speak Easy’s” throughout America, many of them controlled by Organized Crime. After prohibition ended underground casinos remained active.

States began to crack down on illegal casinos and began to seize and destroy gambling equipment, including slot machines. Mayor LaGuardia of New York City called them “mechanical pick pockets”, destroyed them with a sledge hammer, and dumped them into Long Island Sound. (You can watch the action on YouTube.)

In 1931 Nevada legalized gambling. Slot machines populated the floor in the states’ casinos but were there only to amuse the wives and mistresses playing their pennies and nickles while the men did all the heavy gambling at the tables. (A portrayal of this is depicted in the 1952 movie, “The Las Vegas Story” with Vincent Price, Victor Mature, and Jane Russel.) Slots remained a “ladies” game until Atlantic City legalized gambling in 1978.

Bally Manufacturing invented a unit powered by electricity and slots began to “light up” and produce various sound effects. When multi-coin acceptors were introduced, new dollar machines meant larger jackpots for customers. When the Random Number Generator was invented top prize amounts could be increased on four and five reel versions. A spin button became an alternative to the handle.

The Indian Gaming Act was approved in the 1980′s which allowed casinos on reservation land and newly legislated dockside riverboat gambling attracted new slot players while racetracks added the one arm bandits..

IGT launched Megabucks in 1986 and slots were now linked across Nevada by phone lines offering a giant lottery size jackpot that grew with each coin wagered. The Progressive Jackpot was born and players could now become millionaires. Players began abandoning the table games, flocked to the machines and casinos took notice.

Where We Are

The proliferation of slots paved the way for new inventions. A video slot with 25 lines, up to a bet of 10 credits per line allowed for a ticket in, ticket out, (TITO) system. The coins and the handles followed the dinosaurs.. Operators could now lower the denominations to as little as a penny and still turn a profit.

In the new century slot makers were quick to promote the themed slot, units based on popular movies, TV shows and entertainers. Players could now spin the Wheel of Fortune, giggle at Curley, Larry, and Moe, take a ride with Captain Kirk, or croon over Ol’ Blue eyes. All the games have video clips from favorite shows.

The themed slots have evolved to 5 video reels with up to 40 lines. Chairs have comfortable high backs, and some even vibrate when certain bonus features are hit. Touch screens have the latest LCD technology, 3D graphics and Bose sound systems as they continue to evolve. Depending on the game theme, players can wager as little as one penny(credit) per line up to $2, $3, and $4 maximums. Bonus features offer generous payouts while progressive jackpots climb to six and seven figures.

Newer games saw the introduction of CSI, Sex and the City, Iron man, Michael Jackson, David Copperfield, The Walking Dead, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Wonder Woman, Ellen, Let’s Make a Deal, the Godfather, Monopoly, and The list goes on and on.

Where We’re Going

The themed slot will no doubt continue to grow. However there’s a huge segment of casino patrons looking for something different. They are the Millennials.Born in the early 1980′s to the late 1990′s who grew up playing video games. Casinos took notice that this generation didn’t care to sit in front of a machine that did all the work for them in order to win. They want to be involved to make it happen. This led to the introduction of Games of Skill at the 2016 Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.

Two companies, GameCo and Gamblit Gaming introduced their wares at the expo and by all accounts, things look very promising. Other companies, Konami and Scientific Games are creating their own versions to attract the Gen Y’s. Other companies will soon follow.

Some of the games are based on poker where a limited number of players use their skill to grab the cards they need. In another game players have to collect rare treasures in Pharaoh’s Secret Temple before time is up.

Dealer Bluff Six Card Poker is a poker variant table game which is distinctive. The dealer makes the first move and players react to what he or she does. Be aware that the dealer could occasionally bluff, but if you have poker tell expertise that won’t help because an electronic card reader that’s programmed to operate randomly, makes all the decisions to bluff, or not to bluff.

How to Play

Players must first make equal ante and blind bets. The dealer gives six cards face down to each and to him or herself. The dealer bets first, with the option to bet 1X, 2X, or 3X the player’s ante. The electronic card reader will then announce the dealer’s wager amount. Typically the dealer bets more with a strong hand and less with a weak hand, but keep in mind that the dealer will occasionally bluff. The objective is to beat the dealer with a better five card poker hand.

After the dealer bets, players have the option to fold (lose the ante and blind wagers) or call (make a play wager equal to the dealer’s), or raise (double the dealer’s bet). the cards are then turned face up to determine the winner(s).

Results

If the dealer has less than a pair, the ante wager is a push. All other bets receive action. If the dealer wins, the player’s ante, play, and blind bets lose. If the player wins, the ante and play bets pay even money. The blind bet pays according to the following table:

Hand Payout

Royal Flush – 500/1

Straight Flush – 50/1

Four of a Kind – 15/1

Full House – 4/1

Flush – 3 /1

Straight – 1.5/1

3/Kind – 1/1

All Other – Push

A tie between the dealer and the player is a push.

Optional Wagers

Aces Up – This optional bet pays the following even if the player loses the hand to the dealer:

Hand Payout

Royal Flush – 200/1

Straight Flush – 50/1

Four of a Kind – 30/1

Full House – 8/1

Flush – 7/1

Straight – 6/1

Three of a Kind – 4/1

Two Pair – 2/1

Pair of Aces – 1/1

Two Way Bad Beat – This option pays the following if the dealer or player has a pair of aces or better and loses. No matter who wins the hand, the player s always a winner if a bad beat occurs, unless there is a tie:

Hand Payout

Straight Flush – 10,000/1

Four of a Kind – 5,000/1

Full House – 500/1

Flush – 200/1

Straight – 100/1

Three of a Kind – 35/1

Two Pair – 10/1

Pair of Aces – 9/1

House Edge and Strategy

The house edge for the initial hand is about 1.7%, optional Aces Up and Bad Beat wagers are about 6.2% and 10.6% respectively.

The recommended strategy from the experts is: If the dealer wagers 1X – fold with a K-J-8 or less, raise with a pair of 3′s or better, call on all other hands. If the dealer raises 2X – fold with a pair of 6′s or lower, raise with a pair of 10′s or better, call on all other hands. If the dealer raises 3X – fold with a pair of 9′s or less, raise with a pair of Kings or better, call on all other hands.

All of us are well accustomed to the term “insurance”. The term stands for insuring or giving cover to an individual or a group for a specific purpose. On the basis of the function, an insurance policy can be classified into several types. Let us study the types to get a detailed knowledge of the policies.

Home Insurance- our home protects us round the year, but it also needs protection against the rude side of nature. Home insurance can protect your residence from both natural disasters and man-made accidents. They offer a compensatory price for damage to property and life in the home.

Health Insurance- If you are taking a health insurance then that is going to give cover to you and your family. This can be on the basis of the type the health insurance is. This gives one the ability to fight sudden medical emergencies owing to hospital bills, medical expenses, specialist charges, etc.

Personal Accident Insurance- This kind of cover is recommended to one to cope with accidental deaths. Life insurance already covers this part. But when a person gets disabled and losses his or her earning capacity either partially or totally, then the personal accident insurance can be helpful.

Motor Insurance- This protects one against vehicle damage and third party cases of accidents. You would have a mutual contract with the insuring company that on payment of a certain amount as premium, the company will pay you a certain amount if any accidents occur. This type of insurance offers medical coverage, liability and property damages. The property damage covers the theft or damage of the car and the liability coverage maintains the legal aspects in terms of property damage and bodily injuries.

Travel Insurance- As the name suggests the policies gives cover while one is on a trip. So, when you are on the trip all your worries will be taken care of by the insurance from sudden medical expenses to loss of passport, baggage, delay of flight, etc. You can have a safe and trouble-free journey with them.

Commercial Insurance- In a company there are several needs of insurance policies. Most companies have several policies that are specifically designed to protect the assets, vehicles, machines, business, employees and other unseen losses. These policies help them to fulfill the immediate requirements.

Verify who is available in your area offering such services. Many of them are able to handle the challenges of both large and small jobs. They have the expertise and equipment to handle various needs as well as various types of pipe materials. They also have the knowledge to properly assess what is taking place to give you options for the best long-term outcome.

Reputation Matters

Since pipe repair services are often in need, you won’t struggle to find information others have shared. Those reviews from other customers can get you pointed in the right direction. They will share who they hired, what they were happy with, any concerns, cost, and other details. You can get indicators about who you can trust and who you need to avoid hiring for the job.

Once you have some ideas, make some calls and check out their website details. This will share with you where they are located, what they offer, and the types of services they are able to consider for various jobs. Make an appointment for them to come to your location and survey your needs. They can talk to you, look at the pipes, and give you an idea of the process.

Ask Questions

You may not know much at all about pipe repair, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask questions. Ask them to explain what various techniques entail and why they recommend them. Ask them about warranty information on the labor as well as on the parts they put into place. Some of the options such as CIPP can last for decades as well as increase overall flow.

The provider of pipe repair should be willing to answer your questions in terms that you can understand. If you feel they are pressuring you to hire them or they talk in business lingo, bypass them for another provider. You need someone you can communicate well with and you trust to be in your corner. You don’t want to have regrets when the work is done and it is time to pay.

Timeframe

During the consultation, the pipe repair provider should be able to provide you with an estimate timeframe for the work. This includes when they can fit you into their schedule, the time for the work to be done, and any other concerns. Depending on the project, they may need to order materials so that plays a role in when they can get started.

Cost

The final cost of the work should be broken down for you before you hire them. Obtain the estimate in writing so you know what you can expect. You don’t need any surprises that stress you out financially! The estimate should have a cost for the labor, a cost for materials, and then a total price. If you agree to it and what you believe the provider offers, hire them for pipe repair.

Don’t ignore the problem as it isn’t going to get better on its own. Instead, it is just a matter of time before you have as serious issue on your hands. It will cost far more if you wait than if you get it all in motion to have repairs done early on.